Inverter circuit with current detection circuitry

ABSTRACT

An inverter circuit with a current detection circuitry includes a main bridge circuit connected between the pair of DC input nodes, the main bridge circuit converting the received DC voltage to a primary AC current so as to output the primary AC current through an output terminal to be connected to a load; a supplementary bridge circuit connected in parallel to the main bridge circuit between the pair of DC input nodes, the supplementary bridge circuit having a circuit configuration identical to that of the main bridge circuit with smaller circuit parameters in at least some of constituent circuit elements so as to generate a detection-use AC current that is a prescribed fraction of said AC current outputted by the main bridge circuit. The detection-use AC current is detected by a current detector so as to calculate the amount of the primary AC current.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

The present technique relates to a current detection device and asemiconductor device.

Background Art

Recent years have seen the continued development of semiconductordevices known as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), andIntelligent Power Modules (IPMs) containing driver circuits for drivingIGBTs.

An IPM is a power semiconductor module for power switching, and suppliespower to powered electronic products such as motors, robots, inverters,and converters. An IPM also detects current flowing in a semiconductorelement and protects the semiconductor element on the basis of thedetected current information.

As a conventional current detection technique, a technique has beenproposed in which the direction of an output current flowing in a powersemiconductor device equipped with a sense function is detected andoutputted to a CPU. Then, a gain amount, offset amount, and the like ofcurrent detection properties are adjusted by a setting signal outputtedfrom the CPU in accordance with the direction of the output current(Patent Document 1).

RELATED ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2012-90499

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A typical configuration for current detection has a current detectionunit provided on the main line of the IPM or on a bus bar provided inthe main line, such that a load current is detected.

However, according to such a configuration, the current detection unitdetects a main current, which is a large current flowing in the mainline, as the load current. If a current transformer, for example, isaccordingly used as the current detection unit, the size of the unitwill increase. This leads to a problem in that the scale of the devicewill increase as well.

Having been achieved in light of such circumstances, it is an object ofthe present invention to provide a current detection device and asemiconductor device that achieve a reduction in the scales of thedevices. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a scheme thatsubstantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitationsand disadvantages of the related art.

Additional or separate features and advantages of the invention will beset forth in the descriptions that follow and in part will be apparentfrom the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realizedand attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the writtendescription and claims thereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, in oneaspect, the present disclosure provides an inverter circuit having acurrent detection circuitry, including: a pair of DC input nodesconfigured to receive a DC voltage: a main bridge circuit connectedbetween the pair of DC input nodes, the main bridge circuit convertingthe received DC voltage to a primary AC current so as to output theprimary AC current through an output terminal to be connected to a load;a supplementary bridge circuit connected in parallel to the main bridgecircuit between the pair of DC input nodes for calculating an amount ofthe AC current outputted by the main bridge circuit, the supplementarybridge circuit having a circuit configuration identical to that of themain bridge circuit with smaller circuit parameters in at least some ofconstituent circuit elements so as to generate a detection-use ACcurrent that is a prescribed fraction of said AC current outputted bythe main bridge circuit, an output line of the supplementary bridgecircuit carrying the detection-use AC current being connected to theoutput terminal of the main bridge circuit to supplement the primary ACcurrent; and a current detector disposed on said output line of thesupplementary bridge circuit to detect the detection-use AC current andoutput a signal corresponding to the detected detection-use AC currentthat is said prescribed fraction of the primary AC current from the mainbridge circuit.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a three-phasesemiconductor inverter circuit having a current detection circuitry,including: a pair of DC input nodes configured to receive a DC voltage;a U-phase main bridge circuit connected between the pair of DC inputnodes, the U-phase main bridge circuit converting the received DCvoltage to a primary U-phase AC current so as to output the primaryU-phase AC current through a U-phase output terminal to be connected toa load; a U-phase supplementary bridge circuit connected in parallel tothe U-phase main bridge circuit between the pair of DC input nodes forcalculating an amount of the U-phase AC current outputted by the U-phasemain bridge circuit, the U-phase supplementary bridge circuit having acircuit configuration identical to that of the U-phase main bridgecircuit with smaller circuit parameters in at least some of constituentcircuit elements so as to generate a detection-use U-phase AC currentthat is a prescribed fraction of said U-phase AC current outputted bythe U-phase main bridge circuit, an output line of the U-phasesupplementary bridge circuit carrying the detection-use U-phase ACcurrent being connected to the U-phase output terminal of the U-phasemain bridge circuit to supplement the primary U-phase AC current; aU-phase current detector disposed on said U-phase output line of theU-phase supplementary bridge circuit to detect the detection-use U-phaseAC current and output a U-phase signal corresponding to the detecteddetection-use U-phase AC current that is said prescribed fraction of theprimary U-phase AC current from the main bridge circuit; a V-phase mainbridge circuit connected between the pair of DC input nodes, the V-phasemain bridge circuit converting the received DC voltage to a primaryV-phase AC current so as to output the primary V-phase AC currentthrough a V-phase output terminal to be connected to the load; a V-phasesupplementary bridge circuit connected in parallel to the V-phase mainbridge circuit between the pair of DC input nodes for calculating anamount of the V-phase AC current outputted by the V-phase main bridgecircuit, the V-phase supplementary bridge circuit having a circuitconfiguration identical to that of the V-phase main bridge circuit withsmaller circuit parameters in at least some of constituent circuitelements so as to generate a detection-use V-phase AC current that is aprescribed fraction of said V-phase AC current outputted by the V-phasemain bridge circuit, an output line of the V-phase supplementary bridgecircuit carrying the detection-use V-phase AC current being connected tothe V-phase output terminal of the V-phase main bridge circuit tosupplement the primary V-phase AC current; a V-phase current detectordisposed on said V-phase output line of the V-phase supplementary bridgecircuit to detect the detection-use V-phase AC current and output aV-phase signal corresponding to the detected detection-use V-phase ACcurrent that is said prescribed fraction of the primary V-phase ACcurrent from the main bridge circuit; a W-phase main bridge circuitconnected between the pair of DC input nodes, the W-phase main bridgecircuit converting the received DC voltage to a primary W-phase ACcurrent so as to output the primary W-phase AC current through a W-phaseoutput terminal to be connected to the load; a W-phase supplementarybridge circuit connected in parallel to the W-phase main bridge circuitbetween the pair of DC input nodes for calculating an amount of theW-phase AC current outputted by the W-phase main bridge circuit, theW-phase supplementary bridge circuit having a circuit configurationidentical to that of the W-phase main bridge circuit with smallercircuit parameters in at least some of constituent circuit elements soas to generate a detection-use W-phase AC current that is a prescribedfraction of said W-phase AC current outputted by the W-phase main bridgecircuit, an output line of the W-phase supplementary bridge circuitcarrying the detection-use W-phase AC current being connected to theW-phase output terminal of the W-phase main bridge circuit to supplementthe primary W-phase AC current; and a W-phase current detector disposedon said W-phase output line of the W-phase supplementary bridge circuitto detect the detection-use W-phase AC current and output a W-phasesignal corresponding to the detected detection-use W-phase AC currentthat is said prescribed fraction of the primary W-phase AC current fromthe main bridge circuit.

The U-phase bridge circuit includes a U-phase main bridge circuit thatoutputs a first U-phase current through a first U-phase output lineconnected to a load, and a U-phase current detection bridge circuit thatis connected in parallel to the U-phase main bridge circuit and thatoutputs a second U-phase current through a second U-phase output lineconnected at one end to the first U-phase output line.

The V-phase bridge circuit includes a V-phase main bridge circuit thatoutputs a first V-phase current through a first V-phase output lineconnected to the load, and a V-phase current detection bridge circuitthat is connected in parallel to the V-phase main bridge circuit andthat outputs a second V-phase current through a second V-phase outputline connected at one end to the first V-phase output line.

The W-phase bridge circuit includes a W-phase main bridge circuit thatoutputs a first W-phase current through a first W-phase output lineconnected to the load, and a W-phase current detection bridge circuitthat is connected in parallel to the W-phase main bridge circuit andthat outputs a second W-phase current through a second W-phase outputline connected at one end to the first W-phase output line.

The U-phase current detection unit is disposed in the second U-phaseoutput line and detects the second U-phase current. The V-phase currentdetection unit is disposed in the second V-phase output line and detectsthe second V-phase current. The W-phase current detection unit isdisposed in the second W-phase output line and detects the secondW-phase current.

The present invention makes it possible to reduce the scale of a device.It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, andare intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of acurrent detection device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of aconventional inverter constituted by an IPM.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a current transformer.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of anIPM.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between asurface area ratio and a current ratio.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between asurface area ratio and a current ratio.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between asurface area ratio and a current ratio.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a variation on acurrent detection bridge circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to thedrawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of acurrent detection device (i.e., an inverter circuit having a currentdetection circuitry). A current detection device 1 includes a bridgecircuit 1 a (a first bridge circuit or main bridge circuit), a bridgecircuit 1 b (a second bridge circuit or supplementary bridge circuit), acurrent detection unit 1 c (current detector), and driver circuits 30-1and 30-2.

The bridge circuit 1 a is a main bridge circuit that supplies current toa load M, and includes transistors Tr1 a and Tr2 a and diodes D1 a andD2 a. The bridge circuit 1 b is a bridge circuit for detection currentin addition to supplying current to the load M, and includes transistorsTr1 b and Tr2 b and diodes D1 b and D2 b.

The bridge circuit 1 a outputs a current Im (a first current or primaryAC current) through an output line Lm (a first output line) connected tothe load M. The bridge circuit 1 b is connected in parallel to thebridge circuit 1 a, and outputs a current Is (a second current ordetection-use AC current) through an output line Ls (a second outputline) connected at one end to the output line Lm. The current detectionunit 1 c is disposed in the output line Ls and detects the current Is.

With respect to the connection relationships between the elements, acollector of the transistor Tr1 a is connected to a collector of thetransistor Tr1 b, cathodes of the diodes D1 a and D1 b, and a Pterminal. The P terminal corresponds to a power source terminal, forexample.

An emitter of the transistor Tr2 a is connected to an emitter of thetransistor Tr2 b, anodes of the diodes D2 a and D2 b, and an N terminal.The N terminal corresponds to a GND terminal, for example.

Meanwhile, an emitter of the transistor Tr1 a, a collector of thetransistor Tr2 a, an anode of the diode D1 a, and a cathode of the diodeD2 a are connected to an output terminal OUT through the output line Lm,and the load M is connected to the output terminal OUT.

Furthermore, an emitter of the transistor Tr1 b, a collector of thetransistor Tr2 b, an anode of the diode D1 b, and a cathode of the diodeD2 b are connected to the output line Ls. One end of the output line Lsis connected to a node n on the output line Lm, and the currentdetection unit 1 c is inserted into the output line Ls.

Bases of the transistors Tr1 a and Tr1 b are connected to an outputterminal of the driver circuit 30-1, and bases of the transistors Tr2 aand Tr2 b are connected to an output terminal of the driver circuit30-2.

Here, a current transformer is employed as the current detection unit 1c. The current transformer is inserted onto the output line Ls, andcurrent information of the current Is detected by the currenttransformer (i.e., a signal corresponding to the detected current Is) isinputted to, for example, a host control unit (controller) 4 (thestructure of the current transformer will be described later withreference to FIG. 3).

On the basis of the current information, the control unit 4 generatesdrive control signals s1 and s2 for controlling switching of thetransistors, and sends those signals to the driver circuits 30-1 and30-2, respectively. The driving of the high-side transistor Tr1 a in thebridge circuit 1 a and the high-side transistor Tr1 b in the bridgecircuit 1 b is controlled by the same high-side driver circuit 30-1.

Meanwhile, the driving of the low-side transistor Tr2 a in the bridgecircuit 1 a and the low-side transistor Tr2 b in the bridge circuit 1 bis controlled by the same low-side driver circuit 30-2.

Additionally, a surface area ratio between a first active surface areaof first semiconductor devices (the transistors Tr1 a and Tr2 a and thediodes D1 a and D2 a) included in the bridge circuit 1 a and a secondactive surface area of second semiconductor devices (the transistors Tr1b and Tr2 b and the diodes D1 b and D2 b) included in the bridge circuit1 b is equal to a current ratio between the current Im and the currentIs. Accordingly, the second active surface area is made smaller than thefirst active surface area and the current 1 m is made lower than thecurrent Is (correspondence relationships between the surface area ratioand the current ratio will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5to 7).

Thus the current detection device 1 is configured such that the bridgecircuit 1 b for detection current, which is constituted of the secondsemiconductor devices whose current capacities are lower than the firstsemiconductor devices in the bridge circuit 1 a, is connected inparallel to the bridge circuit 1 a, and detects the current Is (<thecurrent Im) flowing in the bridge circuit 1 b. This makes it possible toreduce the size of the current detection unit 1 c that detects thecurrent Is, which in turn makes it possible to reduce the scale of thedevice.

A conventional current detection configuration and issues therewith tobe solved will be described next, before going into detail about thetechnique according to the present invention. First, the configurationof an IPM that detects current by having a current transformer insertedonto a main line thereof will be described.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of aconventional inverter constituted by an IPM. This diagram illustrates aconventional configuration that detects current by having a currenttransformer inserted into a main line.

An inverter 100 includes an IPM 110 and a host controller 40. The IPM110 includes diodes D1 to D6 and D11 to D16, a capacitor C1, and IGBTs11 to 16.

In the IPM 110, the diodes D1 to D6, which form a three-phase rectifyingbridge circuit, the smoothing capacitor C1, the IGBTs 11 to 16, whichare semiconductor switches, and the diodes D11 to D16 are disposedbetween a high-voltage bus L1 and a GND bus L2. Driver circuits 31 to 36for driving the IGBTs 11 to 16, respectively, are connected to the IGBTs11 to 16, respectively.

A load M is connected to output terminals OUT1 to OUT3 of the IPM 110.The IPM 110 transforms a DC high voltage flowing in the bus L1 intothree-phase alternating current and supplies power to the load M from ACmain lines La, Lb, and Lc.

The IPM 110 drives the load M by switching a current of an inductiveload such as a motor on and off, and thus the diodes D11 to D16, whichare freewheeling diodes (FWDs), are connected to the IGBTs 11 to 16 inorder to return the load current.

In other words, counter EMF is produced from the inductive load such asa motor the instant the IGBTs 11 to 16 turn off, and thus the loadcurrent at this time is returned by connecting the diodes D11 to D16 inreverse-parallel to the IGBTs 11 to 16, respectively.

Connection relationships among the constituent elements will bedescribed next. An anode of the diode D1 is connected to an output enda1 of an AC source AO and a cathode of the diode D2. An anode of thediode D3 is connected to an output end a2 of the AC source AO and acathode of the diode D4. An anode of the diode D5 is connected to anoutput end a3 of the AC source AO and a cathode of the diode D6.

Meanwhile, cathodes of the diodes D1, D3, and D5, one end of thecapacitor C1, collectors of the IGBTs 11, 13, and 15, and cathodes ofthe diodes D11, D13, and D15 are connected by the bus L1 to a Pterminal.

Furthermore, anodes of the diodes D2, D4, and D6, another end of thecapacitor C1, emitters of the IGBTs 12, 14, and 16, and anodes of thediodes D12, D14, and D16 are connected by the bus L2 to an N terminal.

Meanwhile, an emitter of the IGBT 11 is connected to an anode of thediode D11, a collector of the IGBT 12, a cathode of the diode D12, andthe output terminal OUT1. The output terminal OUT1 is connected to theload M by the main line La.

An emitter of the IGBT 13 is connected to an anode of the diode D13, acollector of the IGBT 14, a cathode of the diode D14, and the outputterminal OUT2. The output terminal OUT2 is connected to the load M bythe main line Lb. Meanwhile, a current transformer CT1 b is insertedinto the main line Lb between the output terminal OUT2 and the load M.

An emitter of the IGBT 15 is connected to an anode of the diode D15, acollector of the IGBT 16, a cathode of the diode D16, and the outputterminal OUT3. The output terminal OUT3 is connected to the load M bythe main line Lc. Meanwhile, a current transformer CT1 c is insertedinto the main line Lc between the output terminal OUT3 and the load M.

The current transformers CT1 b and CT1 c are connected to the controller40. Drive control signals s1 to s6 from the controller 40 are connectedto input terminals of the driver circuits 31 to 36, respectively. Outputterminals of the driver circuits 31 to 36 are connected to bases of theIGBTs 11 to 16, respectively.

Here, the controller 40 generates the drive control signals s1 to s6.The drive control signals s1 to s6 are pulse signals (Pulse WidthModulation (PWM) signals) that repeatedly alternate between H level andL level, and pulsewidths thereof are determined on the basis of receivedcurrent information.

The drive control signals s1 to s6 sent from the controller 40 areinputted into the driver circuits 31 to 36, respectively, and switchingof the IGBTs 11 to 16 is controlled by the driver circuits 31 to 36driving the gates thereof.

In the switching control, for example, in the case where a gate drivinglevel outputted from the driver circuit 31 is H level, a gate voltage isapplied to the IGBT 11, and the IGBT 11 turns on and enters a conductivestate as a result. Meanwhile, in the case where the gate driving leveloutputted from the driver circuit 31 is L level, the IGBT 11 turns offand enters a non-conductive state as a result. The same switchingcontrol is carried out for the IGBTs 12 to 16 as well.

Current detection by the current transformer will be described next.FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a current transformer. A currenttransformer CT is a hollow coil in which an electric line is wrappedaround a core material made from a ferromagnetic body.

When a line L11 in which current flows is passed through a hole of thecurrent transformer CT, current can be obtained from a line L12connected to the current transformer CT at a winding number ratio of1:n. For example, if a current i1 flows in the line L11, a current i2flowing in the line L12 will be i2=i1/n. Additionally, if a resistor Ris connected to the line L12 and the resistor R is taken as a load, avoltage V2 in proportion to the current i1 (=i1·R/n) can be obtained.

In this manner, information of the current detected by the currenttransformer CT is fed back to the controller 40. On the basis of thiscurrent information, the controller 40 outputs the drive control signalss1 to s6 for controlling the IGBTs 11 to 16 on and off.

Issues to be solved will be described next. As illustrated in FIG. 2,with the IPM 110, the current transformer CT1 b is inserted into themain line Lb and the current transformer CT1 c is inserted into the mainline Lc, and a load current (output current) is detected.

Note that if the load currents flowing in two of the three main linesLa, Lb, and Lc are known, the load current flowing in the remaining mainline can be found through calculations, and it is for this reason thatthe current transformers CT1 b and CT1 c are inserted into the mainlines Lb and Lc in the IPM 110 illustrated in FIG. 2.

In this manner, the conventional IPM 110 is configured such that theload currents flowing in the main lines are detected by currenttransformers, which makes it necessary for the IPM 110 to handle thickmain lines or a wide bus bar attached to the main lines. This results inan increase in the sizes of the current transformers and an increase inthe space needed to dispose the current transformers, and thus it hasbeen difficult to reduce the size of the device.

Additionally, the greater the current rating of the IPM 110, the morethe widths of the main lines will increase. This increases the diameterof the holes in the current transformers, which in turn increases thesizes of the current transformers.

Furthermore, it is desirable that parasitic inductance and parasiticimpedance be reduced in order to realize lower noise, lower loss, and soon in the IPM 110. In this case, the main lines, the bus bar, and so onare made wider and shorter, but making these elements wider alsoincreases the sizes of the current transformers. There is thus a problemin that if an attempt is made to reduce the size it becomes difficult toreduce the parasitic elements.

Meanwhile, according to the above-described Patent Document 1 (JapanesePatent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-90499), thesemiconductor device is divided into a main region and a sense region (acurrent detection region). Current is detected by obtaining currentflowing in the sense region as detection current (sense current) andusing a sense resistor to transform the current into a voltage signal.

However, insulation is a problem when sending a current signal detectedusing the configuration according to Patent Document 1 (that is, currentinformation transformed into a voltage signal by the sense resistor) toa host controller. For safety reasons, sufficient insulation is requiredbetween the host controller and the IPM. Thus components such as aninsulation amplifier for transmitting the current information, as wellas an A/D converter, a digital isolator, and the like for transmittingthe current information as a digital signal, are necessary.

Here, insulation amplifiers capable of transmitting signals with a highlevel of precision are expensive, and lead to an increase in costs.Furthermore, the number of components will increase both in the casewhere an insulation amplifier is used, and in the case where aconfiguration that transmits using digital values.

Having been achieved in light of such circumstances, the presentinvention provides a current detection device and a semiconductor devicethat solve the above-described conventional issues with currentdetection, and achieve a reduction in the scales of the devices.

A configuration and operations in the case where the current detectiondevice 1 according to the present invention is applied in an IPMsemiconductor device will be described next. FIG. 4 is a diagramillustrating an example of the configuration of the IPM. Note that inFIG. 4, a rectifying bridge circuit that takes an AC voltage from an ACsource (corresponding to the diodes D1 to D6 illustrated in FIG. 2) anda smoothing capacitor (corresponding to the capacitor C1 illustrated inFIG. 2).

An IPM 1-1 corresponding to the semiconductor device according to thepresent invention includes main bridge circuits 10 u, 10 v, and 10 w,current detection bridge circuits 20 u, 20 v, and 20 w, currenttransformers CT1 to CT3, and driver circuits 31 to 36. In the samemanner as the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, the IPM 1-1 operatesa load M connected to output terminals OUT1 to OUT3 on the basis ofswitching control implemented by a host controller 40.

For a U phase, the main bridge circuit 10 u (a U-phase main bridgecircuit) and the current detection bridge circuit 20 u (a U-phasecurrent detection bridge circuit) are disposed as a U-phase bridgecircuit 1 u.

The main bridge circuit 10 u includes IGBTs 11 and 12 and diodes D11 andD12 as first U-phase semiconductor devices. The current detection bridgecircuit 20 u includes IGBTs 21 and 22 and diodes D21 and D22 as secondU-phase semiconductor devices.

For a V phase, the main bridge circuit 10 v (a V-phase main bridgecircuit) and the current detection bridge circuit 20 v (a V-phasecurrent detection bridge circuit) are disposed as a V-phase bridgecircuit 1 v.

The main bridge circuit 10 v includes IGBTs 13 and 14 and diodes D13 andD14 as first V-phase semiconductor devices. The current detection bridgecircuit 20 v includes IGBTs 23 and 24 and diodes D23 and D24 as secondV-phase semiconductor devices.

For a W phase, the main bridge circuit 10 w (a W-phase main bridgecircuit) and the current detection bridge circuit 20 w (a W-phasecurrent detection bridge circuit) are disposed as a W-phase bridgecircuit 1 w.

The main bridge circuit 10 w includes IGBTs 15 and 16 and diodes D15 andD16 as first W-phase semiconductor devices. The current detection bridgecircuit 20 w includes IGBTs 25 and 26 and diodes D25 and D26 as secondW-phase semiconductor devices.

Note that Si (silicon), SiC (silicon carbide), or the like is used asthe material of the IGBTs 11 to 16 and 21 to 26 in FIG. 4. The diodesD11 to D16 and D21 to D26, meanwhile, are constituted of Si-FWDs orSchottky barrier diodes (SiC-SBDs). Additionally, although IGBTs areused as the semiconductor switches in FIG. 4, Metal Oxide SemiconductorField Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) may be used instead.

Here, the main bridge circuit 10 u outputs a main current Im_U (a firstU-phase current) through an output line Lm1 (a first U-phase outputline) connected to the load M. The current detection bridge circuit 20 uis connected in parallel to the main bridge circuit 10 u, and outputs asense current Is_U (a second U-phase current) through an output line Ls1(a second U-phase output line) connected at one end to the output lineLm1.

The main bridge circuit 10 v outputs a main current Im_V (a firstV-phase current) through an output line Lm2 (a first V-phase outputline) connected to the load M. The current detection bridge circuit 20 vis connected in parallel to the main bridge circuit 10 v, and outputs asense current Is_V (a second V-phase current) through an output line Ls2(a second V-phase output line) connected at one end to the output lineLm2.

The main bridge circuit 10 w outputs a main current Im_W (a firstW-phase current) through an output line Lm3 (a first W-phase outputline) connected to the load M. The current detection bridge circuit 20 wis connected in parallel to the main bridge circuit 10 w, and outputs asense current Is_W (a second W-phase current) through an output line Ls3(a second W-phase output line) connected at one end to the output lineLm3.

The current transformer CT1 (a U-phase current detection unit), which isa first current transformer, is disposed in the output line Ls1 anddetects the sense current Is_U. The current transformer CT2 (a V-phasecurrent detection unit), which is a second current transformer, isdisposed in the output line Ls2 and detects the sense current Is_V.

The current transformer CT3 (a W-phase current detection unit), which isa third current transformer, is disposed in the output line Ls3 anddetects the sense current Is_W. The flow of current is indicated bydouble-ended arrows in FIG. 4, and this is to indicate the flow ofcurrent from the bridge circuits to the load M and the return of currentfrom the load M to the bridge circuits.

Connection relationships among the constituent elements will bedescribed next. Collectors of the IGBTs 11, 13, 15, 21, 23, and 25 andcathodes of the diodes D11, D13, D15, D21, D23, and D25 are connected bya bus L1 to a P terminal.

Emitters of the IGBTs 12, 14, 16, 22, 24, and 26 and anodes of thediodes D12, D14, D16, D22, D24, and D26 are connected by the bus L2 toan N terminal.

An emitter of the IGBT 21, an anode of the diode D21, a collector of theIGBT 22, and a cathode of the diode D22 are connected by the output lineLs1 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 u.

An emitter of the IGBT 11, an anode of the diode D11, a collector of theIGBT 12, a cathode of the diode D12, and the output terminal OUT1 areconnected by the output line Lm1 of the main bridge circuit 10 u. Thecurrent transformer CT1 is inserted into the output line Ls1, and theoutput line Ls1 and output line Lm1 are connected by a node n1.

Meanwhile, an emitter of the IGBT 23, an anode of the diode D23, acollector of the IGBT 24, and a cathode of the diode D24 are connectedby the output line Ls2 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v.

An emitter of the IGBT 13, an anode of the diode D13, a collector of theIGBT 14, a cathode of the diode D14, and the output terminal OUT2 areconnected by the output line Lm2 of the main bridge circuit 10 v. Thecurrent transformer CT2 is inserted into the output line Ls2, and theoutput line Ls2 and output line Lm2 are connected by a node n2.

Furthermore, an emitter of the IGBT 25, an anode of the diode D25, acollector of the IGBT 26, and a cathode of the diode D26 are connectedby the output line Ls3 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w.

An emitter of the IGBT 15, an anode of the diode D15, a collector of theIGBT 16, a cathode of the diode D16, and the output terminal OUT3 areconnected by the output line Lm3 of the main bridge circuit 10 w. Thecurrent transformer CT3 is inserted into the output line Ls3, and theoutput line Ls3 and output line Lm3 are connected by a node n3.

The current detection lines of the current transformers CT1 to CT3 areconnected to the controller 40. An output terminal of the driver circuit31 is connected to bases of the IGBTs 11 and 21, and an output terminalof the driver circuit 32 is connected to bases of the IGBTs 12 and 22.

An output terminal of the driver circuit 33 is connected to bases of theIGBTs 13 and 23, and an output terminal of the driver circuit 34 isconnected to bases of the IGBTs 14 and 24. An output terminal of thedriver circuit 35 is connected to bases of the IGBTs 15 and 25, and anoutput terminal of the driver circuit 36 is connected to bases of theIGBTs 16 and 26.

Here, on the basis of the information of currents detected by thecurrent transformers CT1 to CT3, the controller 40 generates drivingcontrol signals (not illustrated) for controlling switching of thetransistors and sends the generated signals to the driver circuits 31 to36, respectively.

The driving of the IGBT 11 within the main bridge circuit 10 u (a firstU-phase high-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT 21 of thecurrent detection bridge circuit 20 u (a second U-phase high-sidetransistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 31 (a U-phasehigh-side driver circuit).

The driving of the IGBT 12 within the main bridge circuit 10 u (a firstU-phase low-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT 22 of thecurrent detection bridge circuit 20 u (a second U-phase low-sidetransistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 32 (a U-phaselow-side driver circuit).

Meanwhile, the driving of the IGBT 13 within the main bridge circuit 10v (a first V-phase high-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT 23of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v (a second V-phase high-sidetransistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 33 (a V-phasehigh-side driver circuit).

Additionally, the driving of the IGBT 14 within the main bridge circuit10 v (a first V-phase low-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT24 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v (a second V-phaselow-side transistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 34 (aV-phase low-side driver circuit).

Furthermore, the driving of the IGBT 15 within the main bridge circuit10 w (a first W-phase high-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT25 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w (a second W-phasehigh-side transistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 35 (aW-phase high-side driver circuit).

Additionally, the driving of the IGBT 16 within the main bridge circuit10 w (a first W-phase low-side transistor) and the driving of the IGBT26 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w (a second W-phaselow-side transistor) are controlled by the same driver circuit 36 (aW-phase low-side driver circuit).

As described above, the IPM 1-1 has a configuration in which in eachphase, a current detection bridge circuit constituted of currentdetection IGBTs and diodes (FWDs) and a main bridge circuit constitutedof main IGBTs and diode (FWDs) are connected in parallel.

In other words, in the U phase, the current detection bridge circuit 20u including the IGBTs 21 and 22 and the diodes D21 and D22, and the mainbridge circuit 10 u including the main IGBTs 11 and 12 and the diodesD11 and D12, are connected in parallel.

In the V phase, the current detection bridge circuit 20 v including theIGBTs 23 and 24 and the diodes D23 and D24, and the main bridge circuit10 v including the main IGBTs 13 and 14 and the diodes D13 and D14, areconnected in parallel.

In the W phase, the current detection bridge circuit 20 w including theIGBTs 25 and 26 and the diodes D25 and D26, and the main bridge circuit10 w including the main IGBTs 15 and 16 and the diodes D15 and D16, areconnected in parallel.

Additionally, the current transformer CT1 is inserted into the outputline Ls1 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 u, and the currenttransformer CT1 detects the sense current Is_U flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 u.

Likewise, the current transformer CT2 is inserted into the output lineLs2 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v, and the currenttransformer CT2 detects the sense current Is_V flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 v.

Furthermore, the current transformer CT3 is inserted into the outputline Ls3 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w, and the currenttransformer CT3 detects the sense current Is_W flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 w.

On the other hand, the output lines of the current detection bridgecircuits in each phase are connected to the output lines of the mainbridge circuits into which the current transformers have been inserted.In other words, the output line Ls1 of the U-phase current detectionbridge circuit 20 u is connected to the output line Lm1 of the mainbridge circuit 10 u at the node n1 located beyond where the currenttransformer CT1 is inserted.

Additionally, the output line Ls2 of the V-phase current detectionbridge circuit 20 v is connected to the output line Lm2 of the mainbridge circuit 10 v at the node n2 located beyond where the currenttransformer CT2 is inserted.

Furthermore, the output line Ls3 of the W-phase current detection bridgecircuit 20 w is connected to the output line Lm3 of the main bridgecircuit 10 w at the node n3 located beyond where the current transformerCT3 is inserted.

As such, in the U phase, the sense current Is_U flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 u is added to the main current Im_U flowingin the main bridge circuit 10 u, and thus a load current I_U outputtedfrom the output terminal OUT1 is I_U=Im_U+Is_U.

Likewise, in the V phase, the sense current Is_V flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 v is added to the main current Im_V flowingin the main bridge circuit 10 v, and thus a load current I_V outputtedfrom the output terminal OUT2 is I_V=Im_V+Is_V.

Furthermore, in the W phase, the sense current Is_W flowing in thecurrent detection bridge circuit 20 w is added to the main current Im_Wflowing in the main bridge circuit 10 w, and thus a load current I_Woutputted from the output terminal OUT3 is I_W=Im_W+Is_W.

Next, a ratio between the main current Im and the sense current Is willbe described. As described above, the IPM 1-1 is configured such thatthe load current outputted from a single output terminal is divided intoa main current and a sense current flowing in two current paths, namelythe output line of the main bridge circuit and the output line of thecurrent detection bridge circuit, and the sense current is detected bythe current transformer.

In this case, a current ratio between the sense current flowing in theoutput line of the current detection bridge circuit and the main currentflowing in the output line of the main bridge circuit is the same as asurface area ratio between a chip surface area of the semiconductordevices in the current detection bridge circuit and a chip surface areaof the semiconductor devices in the main bridge circuit. Note that thesurface area referred to here is, for example, an active surface area ofthe semiconductor devices (a surface area of active layers).

FIGS. 5 to 7 are diagrams illustrating correspondence relationshipsbetween the surface area ratio and the current ratio. In the U phaseillustrated in FIG. 5, a surface area ratio between a surface area ofthe IGBTs 21 and 22 and the diodes D21 and D22 of the current detectionbridge circuit 20 u (a second U-phase active surface area) and a surfacearea of the IGBTs 11 and 12 and the diodes D11 and D12 of the mainbridge circuit 10 u (a first U-phase active surface area) is 1:4, forexample.

Because the surface area ratio and the current ratio are equal, thecurrent ratio between the sense current Is_U outputted from the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 u and flowing in the output line Ls1, andthe main current Im_U outputted from the main bridge circuit 10 u andflowing in the output line Lm1, is also 1:4.

Accordingly, the sense current Is_U in the U phase is ⅕ the total loadcurrent I_U in the U phase. In other words, Is_U=I_U/(1+4). Therefore,because the surface area ratio is determined at the design stage and isknown, the U-phase load current I_U can be found by multiplying thecurrent value detected by the current transformer CT1 inserted into theoutput line Ls1 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 u by 5.

Likewise, in the V phase illustrated in FIG. 6, a surface area ratiobetween a surface area of the IGBTs 23 and 24 and the diodes D23 and D24of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v (a second V-phase activesurface area) and a surface area of the IGBTs 13 and 14 and the diodesD13 and D14 of the main bridge circuit 10 v (a first V-phase activesurface area) is 1:4, for example.

Because the surface area ratio and the current ratio are equal, thecurrent ratio between the sense current Is_V outputted from the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 v and flowing in the output line Ls2, andthe main current Im_V outputted from the main bridge circuit 10 v andflowing in the output line Lm2, is also 1:4.

Accordingly, the sense current Is_V in the V phase is ⅕ the total loadcurrent I_V in the V phase. In other words, Is_V=I_V/(1+4). Therefore,because the surface area ratio is determined at the design stage and isknown, the V-phase load current I_V can be found by multiplying thecurrent value detected by the current transformer CT2 inserted into theoutput line Ls2 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 v by 5.

Likewise, in the W phase illustrated in FIG. 7, a surface area ratiobetween a surface area of the IGBTs 25 and 26 and the diodes D25 and D26of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w (a second W-phase activesurface area) and a surface area of the IGBTs 15 and 16 and the diodesD15 and D16 of the main bridge circuit 10 w (a first W-phase activesurface area) is 1:4, for example.

Because the surface area ratio and the current ratio are equal, thecurrent ratio between the sense current Is_W outputted from the currentdetection bridge circuit 20 w and flowing in the output line Ls3, andthe main current Im_W outputted from the main bridge circuit 10 w andflowing in the output line Lm3, is also 1:4.

Accordingly, the sense current Is_W in the W phase is ⅕ the total loadcurrent I_W in the W phase. In other words, Is_W=I_W/(1+4). Therefore,because the surface area ratio is determined at the design stage and isknown, the W-phase load current I_W can be found by multiplying thecurrent value detected by the current transformer CT3 inserted into theoutput line Ls3 of the current detection bridge circuit 20 w by 5.

To generalize the details described above, the surface area ratiobetween the surface area of the semiconductor devices in the currentdetection bridge circuit and the surface area of the semiconductordevices in the main bridge circuit is s:m. In this case, the currentratio between the sense current outputted from the current detectionbridge circuit and the main current outputted from the main bridgecircuit is s:m as well. Accordingly, a relational expression between thesense current Is and a total load current I is Is=I·s/(s+m).

In this manner, the sense current flowing in the current detectionbridge circuit and the main current flowing in the main bridge circuitare determined by the chip surface area ratio between the IGBTs and FWDswithin the current detection bridge circuit and the IGBTs and FWDswithin the main bridge circuit. Thus the total load current can be foundby detecting the sense current using the current transformers andfactoring in the surface area ratio of the semiconductor devices.

Additionally, in this case, the chip surface area of the IGBTs and FWDswithin the current detection bridge circuit is smaller than the chipsurface area of the IGBTs and FWDs within the main bridge circuit. As aresult, the sense current flowing in the current detection bridgecircuit becomes lower than the main current flowing in the main bridgecircuit (sense current Is<main current Im). This makes it possible toemploy small current transformers, which in turn makes it possible toreduce the scale of the device.

For example, in the case where the IPM has a current rating of 300 A, anIPM in which a current transformer is inserted into the main line asillustrated in FIG. 2 will require no less than 300 A as an inputcurrent range of the current transformer used therein, resulting in anincrease in size.

As opposed to this, with the IPM 1-1 illustrated in FIG. 4, the sensecurrent flowing in the current detection bridge circuit connected inparallel to the main bridge circuit is detected. As such, in thisexample, a current transformer having an input current range of no lessthan ⅕ the current rating, namely 60 A, can be used. This makes itpossible to use a small-size current transformer.

Conventionally, the current information obtained by detecting the loadcurrent flowing in the main line is received by the controller,whereupon the controller generates the driving control signals to carryout switching control. As opposed to this, according to the presentinvention, the current information of the current flowing in the currentdetection bridge circuit is received by the controller, but as describedabove, the total load current can easily be calculated from the receivedcurrent information. Thus no impediments to the switching control willarise.

Additionally, according to the IPM 1-1 illustrated in FIG. 4, currentdetection is carried out for all three phases, namely U, V, and W, usingthe three current transformers CT1 to CT3. The information of thedetected currents is obtained for each of the phases using theinformation of the detected currents so that, for example, thecontroller can carry out protection control for overvoltage and the likein each phase.

Thus in the case where the state of each phase is obtained from thecurrent information, the current is detected for all of the threephases, namely U, V, and W (if the function is only for finding the loadcurrent, the configuration may be such that the current is detected foronly two of the three phases).

Variations on the current detection bridge circuit will be describednext. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a variationon the current detection bridge circuit. A current detection bridgecircuit 20 u-1 according to this variation has resistors Rgs1 and Rgm1and resistors Rgs2 and Rgm2 as new elements.

One end of the resistor Rgs1 is connected to a gate of the IGBT 21, andanother end of the resistor Rgs1 is connected to an output end of thedriver circuit 31 and one end of the resistor Rgm1. Another end of theresistor Rgm1 is connected to a gate of the IGBT 11.

One end of the resistor Rgs2 is connected to a gate of the IGBT 22, andanother end of the resistor Rgs2 is connected to an output end of thedriver circuit 32 and one end of the resistor Rgm2. Another end of theresistor Rgm2 is connected to a gate of the IGBT 12.

The stated resistors Rgs1 and Rgm1 and resistors Rgs2 and Rgm2 are gateresistors for timing adjustment. Providing such resistors makes itpossible to eliminate gate timing differences. In other words, providingthe resistors Rgs1 and Rgm1 reduces a gate driving timing difference forthe IGBT 11 and the IGBT 21. Likewise, providing the resistors Rgs2 andRgm2 reduces a gate driving timing difference for the IGBT 12 and theIGBT 22.

Furthermore, providing the resistors Rgs1 and Rgm1 and the resistorsRgs2 and Rgm2 makes it possible to avoid a situation where currentconcentrates in the diodes. Although FIG. 8 only illustrates theconfiguration of the variation on the U-phase current detection bridgecircuit, the configuration is the same for the V- and W-phase currentdetection bridge circuits as well.

Effects of the present invention will be described next, includingpoints of difference from the conventional technique. Rather thandetection a main current flowing in a main line using a currenttransformer as with the conventional IPM 110 illustrated in FIG. 2, theIPM 1-1 according to the technique of the present invention illustratedin FIG. 4 is configured such that the bridge circuits are divided intomain bridge circuits and current detection bridge circuits, and currentsflowing in the current detection bridge circuits are detected by currenttransformers.

The sense current flowing in the current detection bridge circuit isdetermined by a surface area ratio between the active surface area ofthe semiconductor devices constituting the current detection bridgecircuit and the active surface area of the semiconductor devicesconstituting the main bridge circuit.

Accordingly, if the design is such that the active surface area ratio isa ratio of approximately 1:several thousand, for example, the sensecurrent can be brought to a small current on the order of 1/severalthousand, compared to the main current. Accordingly, the sense currentdetected by the current transformer is much smaller than the maincurrent, which makes it possible to use small current transformers. Thisin turn makes it possible to reduce the scale and costs of the device.

Additionally, reducing the size of the current transformers makesintegration into the IPM possible. In this case, no current transformeris inserted into the main line located between the output terminal ofthe IPM and the load, and thus a compact product form can be achieved.Furthermore, as an advantage for IPM developers, the current detectioncircuit can be integrated into a module, which makes designing a currentdetection circuit unnecessary. This can contribute to a reduction in theproduct design lead time.

Furthermore, integrating the current transformers into the IPM makes itpossible to make the main line, the bus bar, and so on short and thick,which in turn makes it easy to reduce parasitic elements.

On the other hand, according to the above-described Patent Document 1,the semiconductor device is divided into a main region and a senseregion (a current detection region), and current is detected bytransforming current flowing in the sense region into a voltage signalusing a sense resistor.

As opposed to this, according to the present invention, bridge circuitsin which the main bridge circuits and the current detection bridgecircuits are connected in parallel are provided, and the configurationis such that currents flowing in the current detection bridge circuitsare detected using current transformers rather than sense resistors.

Additionally, the current transformer is a hollow coil in which anelectric line is wrapped around a core material made from aferromagnetic body, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and is a device in whichthe current transformer itself is insulated.

Although Patent Document 1 requires a new component for insulation, thepresent invention uses current transformers and thus does not requireinsulating devices for signal transmission. Accordingly, increases inthe number of components and costs can be suppressed.

Furthermore, according to Patent Document 1, an emitter terminal issplit between use for a main region and a sense region to obtaincurrent, and thus a current detection circuit is provided for eachsemiconductor device. As opposed to this, the configuration of thepresent invention is such that the bridge circuit itself is divided intoa main bridge circuit and a current detection bridge circuit, and acurrent transformer is inserted into the output line of that currentdetection bridge circuit.

Thus comparing the three-phase full bridge circuit, while PatentDocument 1 requires a maximum of six current detection circuits, thepresent invention only requires three current detection units (threecurrent transformers), which makes it possible to achieve furtherminiaturization.

While embodiments have been described thus far as examples, theconfigurations of the elements described in the embodiments can bereplaced with other elements having equivalent functions. Other desiredconfigurations, processes, and so on may be added as well.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover modifications and variationsthat come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.In particular, it is explicitly contemplated that any part or whole ofany two or more of the embodiments and their modifications describedabove can be combined and regarded within the scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inverter circuit having a current detectioncircuitry, comprising: a pair of DC input nodes configured to receive aDC voltage: a main bridge circuit connected between the pair of DC inputnodes, the main bridge circuit converting the received DC voltage to aprimary AC current so as to output the primary AC current through anoutput terminal to be connected to a load; a supplementary bridgecircuit connected in parallel to the main bridge circuit between thepair of DC input nodes for calculating an amount of the AC currentoutputted by the main bridge circuit, the supplementary bridge circuithaving a circuit configuration identical to that of the main bridgecircuit with smaller circuit parameters in at least some of constituentcircuit elements so as to generate a detection-use AC current that is aprescribed fraction of said AC current outputted by the main bridgecircuit, an output line of the supplementary bridge circuit carrying thedetection-use AC current being connected to the output terminal of themain bridge circuit to supplement the primary AC current; and a currentdetector disposed on said output line of the supplementary bridgecircuit to detect the detection-use AC current and output a signalcorresponding to the detected detection-use AC current that is saidprescribed fraction of the primary AC current from the main bridgecircuit.
 2. The inverter circuit according to claim 1, wherein saidcurrent detector includes a current transformer.
 3. The inverter circuitaccording to claim 1, wherein said main bridge circuit includes a firstsemiconductor device, and said supplementary bridge circuit includes asecond semiconductor device, and wherein an area ratio of an activesurface area of the second semiconductor device to an active surfacearea of the first semiconductor device is set to a prescribed value thatis greater than one so that the detection-use AC current is saidprescribed fraction of the primary AC current.
 4. The inverter circuitaccording to claim 2, wherein said current transformer is integratedinto the inverter circuit.
 5. The inverter circuit according to claim 1,further comprising; a high-side driver circuit; and a low-side drivercircuit, wherein said main bridge circuit includes a first high-sidetransistor and a first low-side transistor connected in series betweenthe DC input nodes, wherein said supplementary bridge circuit includes asecond high-side transistor and a second low-side transistor connectedin series between the DC input nodes, and wherein the first high-sidetransistor and the second high-side transistor are both driven by a samedriving signal outputted from said high-side driver circuit, and thefirst low-side transistor and the second low-side transistor are bothdriven by a same driving signal outputted from said low-side drivercircuit.
 6. The inverter circuit according to claim 5, furthercomprising a controller receiving the signal from the current detectorand controlling the high-side driver circuit and the low-side drivercircuit in accordance with said signal so as to regulate the primary ACcurrent and the detection-use AC current.